


Back from the Dead

by just_a_passerby



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Bucky Barnes Is a Good Bro, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky is like a big brother to peter, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, Irondad, Kidnapping, Might add more tags later, Peter Parker Whump, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Avengers, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Steve Rogers, Teen Peter Parker, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Torture, protect him at all costs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-06-08 07:06:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15238038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/just_a_passerby/pseuds/just_a_passerby
Summary: Peter returns from the dust and is all alone. Of course he finds himself in trouble somehow.(I'm bad at writing summaries but expect lots of angst and fluff!!)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic ever and I wrote this on a whim so it might not be the best, but I hope y 'all like it!! I apologize in advance if there are a lot of typos (. .||||) I don't have an actual posting schedule but I might update weekly. Criticism is always welcomed uvu

“Peter...Peter, you ok, dude?” Ned waved his hands in front of Peter’s face

 

“Huh? Oh yeah, sorry...kinda spaced out.” Peter put on his best smile before returning to his lunch. 

 

“Are you sure? I mean, I know a lot has happened ever since you came back so… If you ever need to talk to someone, I’m here.”

 

“Thanks, Ned, but I’m fine, really.”

 

Ned didn’t seem convinced but returned back to his lunch without saying anything. Peter was grateful that Ned didn’t press on about it. Everything that happened… Peter couldn’t talk about without tearing up.

 

After everything that happened with the war and after Thanos’ snap, Peter returned to find that his only living relative- May Parker- was killed by a car that ended up swerving off the road just after the driver turned to dust. She was killed instantly upon impact and hearing this news a few days after returning from the snap… well, lets just say he didn’t take it very well. Although Peter was still numb and grieving, he was glad that she didn’t die suffering. It angered him  to know that he wasn’t there with her to tell her that he loved him or even attend the funeral. He still visited her and Uncle Ben’s gravesite every week or so.

 

What confused Peter though, was that he couldn’t remember anything after he disappeared. Not everything at least. He remembered that there was this guy who had taken care of him while he was in the soul stone. Or at least that's where he assumed he was. It seemed like a dream. And according to everyone else, the half of the population that disappeared came back after 4 months. But it seemed like only a few minutes. Seconds even.

 

He remembers waking up in a hospital. He wonders of that guy was the one who brought him there.

 

When he came back after the Avengers fixed the mess Thanos created, it took him some time to be placed into the foster system. Apparently he wasn’t the only kid whose parents had died during the war. During this process, he spoke to a social worker on multiple occasions and went back to the apartment to collect things that he needed. 

 

_ Home. _

 

Although the apartment they shared was small, they made do and had plenty of special memories there. It was hard for him to leave the place behind knowing that he spent almost all of his childhood in the Queens apartment building but he had to move on. The whole world seemed to have done it well enough. After everyone was back, it took only a week or so for everything to return back to normal. Of course, there were still alot of problems, like everyone getting back home, reconstructing building and overcrowded hospitals but other than that… everything was almost normal. So Peter knew that compared to everything else, he was insignificant. Everyone had to continue with their lives.

 

“Dude, you know that Star Wars AT-AT Walker set I’ve been saving a bunch of money for?” Ned asked him as they walked to their next class

 

“Yeah, what about it?”

 

“I finally bought it! And I just got it yesterday.” 

 

“Ned, that’s amazing!” Peter beamed, happy that his friend was able to buy the lego set he had been dying for

 

“Yeah, I know right? I was wondering if you wanted to help me build it?”

 

“Oh, um… I don’t know if I would be able to… I still have a lot of homework and studying to catch up on after…” Peter said uneasily and scratched his neck

 

“Yeah, man, I understand.” Ned nodded, but looked slightly disappointed “I won’t start building it without you though.” 

 

They continued talking a bit more before filing into the classroom.

 

\-----

  
  


Tony sighed, rubbing his forehead as he skimmed through the endless amounts of paperwork Pepper forced him to sign. She could have done it herself, he thought of arguing but she had dealt with so much since everything returned to ‘normal’. It was annoying but it wasn't hard - he’d just rather be doing something else than reading the small print of contracts. Like modifying the Iron Man suit. Or literally anything that didn’t involve reading.

 

Since his experience with Thanos and in space, Tony has always been on edge. Not that he was the only one. The whole team was shaken after the events, leaving scars on their mind that they knew would take time to heal. But the had each other. The war, ironically, was able to undo all the animosity created by the Sokovia Accords that broke their team apart. They relied on each other now more than ever and all became closer in the process. Tony was even able to, somehow, become friends with Bucky. If someone had told him they would be friends before the war happened, he would have scoffed.

 

Although most of the team was back together again, Tony knew there was one member still missing.

 

_ Peter _ .

 

Tony had watched Peter, disintegrate and turn to dust in his arms. It pained him to remember the last look of fear and confusion Peter gave him before the wind carried his dust away. The look of anguish on his face, as his body tried to protect him from the inevitable, his body slowing tearing itself apart. It was one that Tony never wanted to see on Peter’s face again. Once the remaining Avenger’s were able to undo the chaos that Thanos created, Tony immediately began his search for Peter. Surprisingly, it didn’t take him long. The stone seemed to bring everyone home, or what they perceived as home. Peter was found and few blocks away from his apartment building, struggling to walk and had passed out in Tony’s arms. Tony rushed him to a hospital that was in the area and left quickly but not before taking away his Spiderman suits, erasing his contact number in Peter’s phone and made sure to block Peter's number, email and anyway that Peter would be able to contact him.

 

Peter couldn’t be around him anymore, he would just hurt him. Just like he hurt everyone else around him. Tony knew he brought danger with him everywhere and he couldn’t risk Peter getting hurt. 

 

_ Not again.  _

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cant believe this has almost 1k hits and 63 kudos??? Thank you guys so much!! :,D   
> I still don't have a particular schedule so I'm just going to stick to updating once a week

By the end of the school day, Peter was exhausted and famished. Although he didn’t have problems with his AP classes -- he was taking 4 this year --, they took a lot of his time and energy. Not to mention, his metabolism was almost four times faster than the average teen so he was absolutely  _ starving _ . 

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Peter!” Ned waved at him before walking out of the school lobby

 

“See ya!” Peter smirked back before walking his way to the train station

 

His high school was in Forest Hills which wasn't so far from Middle village, where he lived with his temporary foster parent, David. The house was in a quiet suburban area, far from what Peter was used to, but it was still quite a walk so he decided to take the subway. David was...for lack of a better word, mysterious. He was tall and lean with blue eyes and short brown hair. He was a supplier for some company but Peter never researched  who he worked for. It didn’t matter and Peter didn’t really care. Peter never really saw him anyways.

 

David worked during the evening into the early morning, usually from 4 pm to 2 am, and never really talked to Peter unless it was important. Peter figured that David really didn’t have a choice in taking in Peter, since the foster system was absolute shit, and was even worse after... recent events. Apparently anyone who had the right credentials could be a foster parent.

 

David was at least nice enough to leave money for Peter to buy whatever food he needed while he was away. After all, Peter was still growing and his metabolism was much faster than the average 16 year old. Although David didn’t seem to be a bad person…he wasn’t very social.  Peter needed someone to talk to, someone who could understand him. Of course he had Ned, but he needed something more.

 

‘Beggars can’t be choosers, though.’ Peter thought bitter

 

Peter took out his Metro-card as he walked towards the subway and swiped his card at the turnstile to pass through. Peter waited 10 minutes before the train arrived at the station. It took another 10 minutes for the train to arrive at his stop and about 5 more to walk the rest of the way home. Like usual, Peter was the only one home and found 40 dollars plastered to the refrigerator door with magnets. Cooking would take too long and he was impatient so he decided to buy some Chinese take out. While he waited for his order to arrive, he rushed upstairs to his bedroom to change into more comfortable clothing. 

 

“This shirt doesn't look familiar…” Peter spoke to himself, drawing out an oversized dark blue shirt that was neatly folded in the corner of his drawer and unraveled it “Oh.”

 

It was his Stark Industries shirt.

 

It had been a few months since Peter came back, and he had yet to hear from the older man himself. Peter had tried calling and texting Mr. Stark, but he changed his number. He tried emailing him, but got no reply. He tried sending handmade letters, and still got no reply. At some point, Peter considered calling Happy but reasoned that his phone number was probably changed and if it wasn’t, Happy wouldn’t answer anyways. After multiple attempts, Peter just assumed that maybe he was busy after everything that happened with the war. But after a few more months, he figured it out.

 

Mr. Stark was ignoring him.

 

Peter had knowingly put himself in danger during the war and died in his arms. Mr. Stark probably decided that he wasn’t ready to take on the responsibility of a hero when he kept putting himself at risk. That’s why he took away his Spider suits.

 

Mr. Stark had said that if he was nothing without the suit, he shouldn’t have it.

  
  


Mr. Stark was right. He didn’t deserve it. Peter wasn’t responsible enough to hold all of that on his shoulder. He was just some reckless 16 year old orphan. Mr. Stark probably didn’t want to deal with someone like him. Everyone got hurt around him at some point. He couldn’t save Uncle Ben or Aunt May even with his powers and could have jeopardized the safety of everyone during the war.

 

He didn’t do  _ better _ . He _ couldn’t _ do better. 

  
  


Peter swallowed the lump that was forming in his throated and wiped away his tears with the back of his hand. He placed the shirt back in its original place before opting to wear his hello kitty pajamas and a plain white t shirt.

 

While searching, he also found his first Spider Man costume at the bottom of all his clothing. He quickly shoved it deeper into his drawer before he could start to burst into tears.

 

It had been a while since Spider-Man had done any patrols. There didn’t seem to be lots of trouble after the war happened and he was sure the city could do without his help. Mr. Stark didn’t believe that he was ready to be a real hero yet, so he wouldn’t try to be one. After all, that's what the Avengers were there for.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter is a bit shorter btw :,U  
> kudos and comments are appreciated!! <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so so sorry for the late update :,U A family member is staying for a while at our apartment so we've been going out a lot. I'll try to make up for my absence by posting again sometime this week. Also, thank you so much for the kudos and the comments!! :D

After being bombarded with negative thoughts, Peter could barely even eat any of the food he ordered. He knew he should eat, it would bite him in the ass later if he didnt, but he had lost his appetite so he decided to study instead. He turned on the television and lowered the volume a bit before opening his textbook and reading the text carefully.

 

When Aunt May was.... Peter usually was able to focus more with background noise and studied while Aunt May would watch some sitcom or the news on the television. And Queens was usually just so noisy so in a weird way it gave him comfort. It reminded him of  _ home. _

 

_ “Peter, how do you concentrate like this?” Aunt May asked  _

 

__ _ Peter was in the living room, sitting on the couch in front of the television and munching on an apple while studying notes from his chemistry class.  Aunt May was sitting next to him with her legs spread on the couch, but just enough to give Peter space to sit, watching Jeopardy and was failing miserably to get any of the answers correct. Peter beamed at her and laughed a bit. _

 

_ “I can’t concentrate on anything when it’s so quiet and I love watching you answer all question wrong on Jeopardy.” _

 

_ “Oh you little rascal,” May sat up and ruffled Peter’s hair while he half heartedly shooed her away “What am I gonna do without you, Pete?”  _

_ “Love you too, Aunt May.” _

 

The game show switched to commercial break , snapping Peter out of the short memory. Peter sighed and shook his head, turning his eyes back to the textbook. The pages were… wet? He gingerly touched his face then rubbed away the tears with his forearm in frustration. God, these days he couldn’t go a week without crying. He was supposed to be stronger than this. Spider-Man didn’t cry, so why should he? 

 

‘I really need to stop comparing myself with someone I’m not anymore.’ Peter thought

 

The sound of the door opening startled Peter and he jumped up from his seat taking a defensive stance. A wave a relief washed over him once he realized it was just David… which was unusual.

 

“Oh, um, hey David.” Peter smiled tightly before sitting back down

 

“Hey, kid…” he said slowly

 

Peter flinched at the nickname. If David saw, he didn’t show it. Only Mr. Stark used to call him that…

 

“Y-You’re home a lot earlier than usual.” Peter begun to take in his appearance.

 

David’s attire seemed disheveled, his hair sticking up in different places from sweat that caused his forehead and neck to gleam. His stark white button up shirt was only halfway tucked in and stuck to his skin from the sweat. There was a small bruise forming under his eyes and if Peter listened carefully, he could hear his labored breath and his rapid heartbeat slowing down.

 

“Sorry if I startled you, I have some…important work here that I have to attend to later. Mind if I change the channel?” David plopped down in the seat next to him and grabbed the remote

 

“U-um, yeah...sure.” Peter stuttered and turns back to his textbook, and pretends not to listen to the news

 

“-has been an increase in reportings of missing people in borough of Queens. In the last two months, 50 people have been reported missing, only 13 of the bodies have been found and are said to have died from an overdose.” the news reporter began “The ages of the people reported missing range from 17 to 40 years of age. The FBI and CIA have both been called upon to help find these missing persons.”

 

_ ThumpThumpThumpThump _

 

His heartbeat.. _.David’s _ heartbeat had increased tenfold and it was giving Peter’s a massive headache. Like a damn drummer was randomly beating his drums without care. Peter didn’t show it but he side-eyed David and could see him breaking a sweat on his forehead and him breathing in and out of his nose like his life depended on it.  _ Was he...having a panic attack? _

 

“We urge everyone to walk in groups, especially during the nighttime. If you see something suspic-”

 

Peter turned off the television.

 

“David, are-are you ok?” 

 

“Yes,Y-yes, I’m quite alright.” David stood up so quickly, Peter wasn’t sure how he didn’t stumble “I’ll be in my room if you need anything. Knock before you enter.” He said sternly

 

Before Peter could say anything, David was already halfway up the stairs towards his room. Peter was still very confused about what just happened. He was fine before he changed the channel...maybe the abductions are making him nervous? I mean, 50 people missing in the past two months is pretty scary...But David’s like what in his late 40’s?

 

But David did say that he was a government official...Maybe he was working for the FBI or the CIA. Maybe that’s why he was so nervous. Maybe the stress of the investigation is taking a toll on him. That could also explain why he’s always working so late.

It didn’t seem like the investigation was going anywhere though, right? They would have at least gotten a lead or  _ something _ by now, right?

 

‘Maybe Spider-Man should get involved. The Avengers seem to have better things to do and Spider-Man was supposed to look out for the little guy.’ Peter thought as he shut his textbook

 

If Mr. Stark knew about this, he wouldn’t be happy but right now Peter didn’t care. He’s been sitting on his ass for too long, he’s been grieving for too long. He needed to act fast before more people got hurt.

 

Starting after testing week was over.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter is a little short X,0


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's really late but I promised I would update again this week so here it is!! :O This was hard to write for some reason so its kinda shitty. I tried to make this a bit longer than most of my other chapters so I hope that makes up for it! There's a lot of dialogue in this but nothing really interesting happens in this one though and Peter won't be brought up till the next chapter (_ _ ) 
> 
> Thank you for all the kudos and comments btw, I love you guys so much!! :,D

It was a peaceful Saturday morning, the sun's rays peeked from behind the light curtains covering the window. Tony could faintly hear the hustle and bustle of the city below the Avengers tower and it reminded Tony that everything was ok. It was the reassurance he needed every morning to know that some otherworldly creature wasn't wreaking havoc upon innocent people or trying to take over the planet. It was the reassurance he needed so he could go back to  _ sleep _ .

 

“Sir, Director Fury is requesting that you and the other members of the Avengers meet in the conference room. He claims that he has another mission that he advises The Avengers should oversee.” Friday startled Tony fully awake

 

“Son of a bitch.” Tony groaned into his pillow before pushing himself up into a seated position 

 

After the war, The Avengers didn’t have any time off. They worked non-stop, taking on any and every mission assigned to them, from getting the remaining Asgardians to a safe place in Norway to tracking down sellers of alien tech. It was quite a lot but they got the job done. After a couple of months, they were able to get a two month break from any missions that involved the whole team or would take more than a few days. 

 

They were barely into their first month.

 

Tony was trying to take this time to improve himself. Sleep at least 7 hours a day (naps included because nightmares), go jogging at least twice a week, eat three  _ proper _ meals a day. God knows he's been eating like a college student for the past few years. He was less stressed and the bags under his eyes were starting to lighten. This plan was surprisingly working, with the help of a few team members and Pepper of course. 

 

So it royally pissed Tony off to know that Fury was going to need all hands on deck. He really didn't need something else to worry about. 

 

Tony headed straight to the conference room after getting himself ready. He walked into the room to find that most of the team were already there. They were all sitting at a long conference table, having quiet conversations with another person or on their phones. They still looked pretty tired since it was still really early in the morning. Well except Natasha, who always seemed ready. 

 

“Good Morning, Tony.” Steve gave him a small smile while others murmured ‘good morning’, still too tired to put any effort behind it

 

“Morning, Cap.” Tony nodded back before sitting across from him 

 

Tony and Steve had made up and were on good terms now that the war was over. They both apologized profusely to each other, although Tony hated having to swallow his pride just to get the words ‘I'm sorry’ out of his mouth. Either way, they were both glad that all bad feeling were aside and that the team could be back again. As the two leader of the Avengers, they needed to work in unison or else the team would fall apart. Both leaders knew this and would learn from their mistakes.

 

Only a few minutes after everyone had settled down, Director Fury marched into the conference room and everyone went quiet, waiting for him to speak. Well except for Tony, of course.

 

“Good morning to you too, Fury.” Tony deadpanned “You know, technically, I'm supposed to be on vacation.” 

 

“Tony…” Steve groaned which earned a snicker from Clint and Sam

 

“It’s nice to see you too,  _ Stark _ .” Fury sneered before turning to the rest of the Avengers “I’m sure you all have heard of the recent abductions that have risen dramatically in Queens.”

 

Everyone in the room hummed and nodded.

 

“Of course, these abductions aren’t normal and we suspect that this is part of something much bigger.” 

 

“You want us to check this out.” Bucky spoke up 

 

“Yes and I’ll need-”

 

“Ok, no.” Tony interrupted Fury and stood up “We’ve been working our asses off ever since everything turned back to normal, ever since we got rid of that grape-flavored Titan no one else could defeat. We haven’t gotten a break and right now? We need some time to ourselves.”

 

“Stark, I understand. But you know that with the FBI and the CIA, it could take them years to even track down whoever is abducting these people because from what I know, there are multiple people in on this and it's possible that they have sponsors. It could be Hydra for all we know.”

 

Tony glanced at Steve. He was looking down intensely at the floor. He was sure that Fury’s last statement struck a nerve.

 

“Director Fury, I… I agree with Tony.” Steve looked up at Fury

“Well that’s a first.” Tony mumbled lowly to himself, but he was sure that the super soilder heard him

 

“We’re still trying to recover from Thanos and we haven’t had the time to do that. As much as I want to get started on this mission and help these people, we just need a bit of time for ourselves. It’s what’s best for the team.” Steve finished

 

Fury rubbed his face and gave a sigh of defeat.

 

“I know you’re supposed to be on your little ‘vacation’,” Fury sneered “but I can’t gaurantee that any of this will become easier next month.”

 

“Next two months, actually.” Tony shut it when Fury glared at him

 

“Just make sure you’re prepared for what’s to come. You’re all dismissed.” 

 

Tony dashed out of the room and rushed to the nearest elevator, waiting for the lift to arrive to the floor. As he waited for the lift, he felt someone standing close to him and looked up.

 

“Steve.” Tony smirked at him “Usually you’re out for the usual morning jog.”

 

“Usually you’re up working on your suits.” Steve shot back with a small smile “But after listening to Fury, I just want to relax and draw.” Steve sighed

 

It was obvious that this was stressing him out. After what happened with Bucky, Tony knew Steve didn’t want it to happen to anyone else.

“Cap, if it makes you feel any better...I can help you start the mission early after this month.”

 

“No, Tony, you really don’t have to do that.” Steve started “This break from everything...it’s doing you good and I wouldn’t want to stress you out.”

 

“I  _ want _ to do this, Cap. If Fury is serious about this being bigger than it looks, then it’d be best to start this early.”

 

Steve looked at Tony with an unreadable expression before giving him another small smile but brighter than the last. 

 

“Thank you, Tony…”

 

Tony gave him a tight smile and patted him two times on the shoulder before the lift arrived.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be updating sometime next week >:D stay tuned!!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 221 kudos?!?!? Over 4200 hits?!?! Thank you so much guys!! :,D Thank you for supporting this fan fic so much, I love everyone one of you <3  
> I apologize for posting this late once again! This chapter is about 1300+ words so I hope that makes up for my lateness  
> Also thank you so much for all the nice comments!! ^^

Tony sighed as he took another sip of his coffee, the taste familiar and warm in his mouth. Despite the fact that it was 2:03 am in the morning, he made himself a full mug of the bitter beverage. It had been a week since the Avengers had the meeting with Fury. The little ‘talk’ had given him some time to think.

 

_ Too much time to think. _

 

At first he started to think about who would abduct this many people- kids and adults alike- in one area alone. Even though  _ technically _ he was supposed to start the mission in a month, he decided to do a little bit of research ahead of time. Was it HYDRA? Past records with SHIELD revealed that although they had multiple bases, they only had a few bases that could only hold a few brainwashed soldiers at a time. It could also be AIM but they mostly specialized in robotics and engineering; unless they were making cyborgs but Tony figured that was highly unlikely. Maybe it was a rouge group of people who were trying to get revenge? Maybe it was human trafficking? There were so many possibilities and it stressed Tony out to no end.

 

And the fact that it was in  _ Queens _ , it only made his think- no  _ worry _ about one thing.

 

Peter.

 

Tony had tried his hardest not to think about the kid for months. Because he knew that if he did, it would only cause him to check up on Peter and possibly contact him. Which he was trying to avoid at all cost ever since the war. Tony’s nightmares of the invasion on New York were replaced with multiple scenarios of Peter  _ dying _ under his care. Of course the one he experienced the most was Peter slowly disintegrating in his arms while Peter cried out ‘I’m sorry, Mr. Stark’ and ‘I don’t wanna go’, with fear in his eyes and voice. It made Tony’s heart rate go up just thinking about it-

 

“Hey, Tony.” a voice startled Tony out of his trance

 

He looked behind himself to find Barnes standing near the kitchen counter, turning the flame on under the kettle. Barnes had on some loose pajama pants that hung from his torso and a wife beater. By the drowsiness in his eyes, Tony could tell he wasn't able to get any sleep.

 

“Barnes.” Tony nodded at him “Can't sleep either?”

 

“Yeah… Something like that.” Bucky replied, turning down the flame under the kettle once it started to give a shrill whistle. 

 

“Who knew Bucky Barnes would be making chamomile tea at 2 in the morning?” Tony joked

 

Simply said, Bucky and Tony had made up and resolved their problems like adults. It took some time since Tony had still stewed months after finding out that Bucky had killed his parents. Bucky had apologized multiple times, doing everything he could to make up for his mistakes. At first, Tony didn’t want to hear it from him, still too upset at the fact that the super soldier was the reason his parents were dead. Tony would yell and lash out at Bucky but he would take it in stride and avoid him for a few hours.  After a couple of months, Tony realized that his behavior was getting him nowhere and Steve and the team weren’t having it. It took a while for Tony to understand that Bucky had been under Hydra and brainwashed for decades and didn’t have any control over himself or his thoughts for so long. In the end, Tony was the one who sucked up his ego and pride and shortly apologized, which Bucky took quickly. Bucky was quiet… but surprisingly easy to talk to.

 

“What are you thinkin’ about?” Bucky’s voice, once again, caused Tony to jump

 

“Um, just the whole mission thing in Queens.” Tony said briefly

 

“I mean, it seems to be more than that..You’ve been staring into space for the past 3 minutes…”

 

Of course,  _ Bucky  _ was observant.

 

“Just...There’s someone I used to be close to that lives in Queens. I’m worried about them and-”

 

“Is it..Is it Peter?” Bucky whispered, interrupting him

 

Tony’s eyes widened in shock before he spoke up again.

 

“What did you say?” Tony asked incredulously 

 

“Peter? Peter Parker? Is that the person you’re worrying about…? I’ve met him before-”

 

“When?” 

 

“In the soul stone.”

 

Tony’s breath quivered as he pushed his hair back and held his head in his hands. God, he  _ promised  _ himself that he wouldn’t let anyone find out about his alter ego. Bucky probably already told the whole team and-

 

“I didn’t tell anyone- About him being Spider-Man, I mean.” Bucky reassured him, seeing that Tony looked like he were about to go into panic mode “I figured you would have introduced us to him if you wanted us to know…”

 

“Thank you…” Tony said, sincerely “How did you…?”

 

“I found him wanderin’ around in the fields, in the soul stone. He was... scared and hurt and I’d recognized him from the uh, what happened at the airport in Leipzeg.”

 

Bucky paused for a second waiting for Tony to say something. Tony was usually the talker and this was probably the most he talked to one person in months and...it felt good and… weird at the same time. Talking about something that didn’t involve Hydra, or the nightmares or his feelings felt good but he was used to talking about When he saw Tony nod, he continued but turned back to the kettle to make his tea.

 

“He seemed to recognize me too... but I had to make sure he knew I wasn’t tryna hurt him. It took a while, the kid’s as stubborn as Stevie… but I was able to get to him. I took him under my wing, protected him, took care of him even though he could hold his own. The kid’s uh… he’s something. Wouldn’t stop talking, he basically told me his whole life story, really strong, a big ball of energy but he’s got a lotta heart, Stark. He...He talked about you alot.” Bucky slowly poured the water from the spout of the kettle, into the small white cup with a chamomile tea bag at the bottom “The way he talked about you? Jeez, I would have thought the little punk was your kid.”

 

“Me?” Tony took another sip of his coffee and grimaced when the now cold liquid entered his mouth

 

_ “I just wanted to be like you.” _

 

_ “And I wanted you to be better.” _

 

Tony broke eye contact with Bucky, tears threatening to spill from the corner of his eyes. If Bucky noticed, he kept quiet.

 

“Yeah…” Bucky spoke, softly “The kid really looks up to you, Stark. Basically talked about you every chance he got to. You’re his hero, Tony.”

 

Silence.

 

“Listen, He’s gonna be ok.” Bucky returned to his tea, throwing the tea bag out after it had steeped in the hot water for a while “He’s a strong kid and he can fend for himself. He learned from the best after all.”

Tony almost blushed from the praise.

 

“I’m just trying my best to keep  _ my kid safe _ . Everyone around me...I just don’t want anyone getting hurt anymore. Especially that kid. And with everything that's going on...”

 

Bucky took note of Tony talking about Peter as ‘ _ his kid’.  _ Seeing Tony’s expression and tenseness, Bucky figured that he did not want to discuss the topic any longer. He picked up his steaming tea with his vibranium arm, turning to Tony one last time before leaving.

 

“You’ve saved us all more times than I can count, Tony. I doubt you would let that kid even get a scratch. Peter cares for you, Stark, and I know you care for him too. You should reach out to him. He needs you more than you think.”

 

Tony stared at the spot Bucky was once standing in, his mind flooded with the thoughts of one 16 year old.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!! :9 feedback is always welcome :O


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *This chapter takes place on the same week that Tony and Bucky have their midnight talk*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a few things to say!!  
> 1) Im really so sorry for uploading this chapter after so long :,U I have a lot of back to school stuff I gotta get and also some assignments to finish. This is gonna be my senior year of hs so I'm probably gonna be super busy with college stuff until I submit all my applications. So chapter updates might be inconsistent  
> 2) This chapter is like 1.5 k words, I'm sorry that's it so long but I made the end is kind of short and rushed cuz I'm running low on inspiration  
> 3) This chapter may be cheesy  
> 4) Thank you for all the kudos and lovely comments!! <3 They are greatly appreciated and I love you all!! ^^

“Hey, it’s been a while…” Peter sat on the grass, placing a bouquet of flowers in front of the weathered gravestone “...Aunt May.”

 

Every two weeks or so, Peter would visit May’s grave. It upset him knowing that he wasn’t there to see her funeral, _ to say goodbye _ , but he didn’t even know if he could take seeing May’s lifeless figure in a casket. Many friends of May pooled their money together to give her a proper funeral, thank god, and Peter was grateful for that. He sent them all thank you cards.

Usually when he visited, he would talk to her...well her gravestone. Peter wasn’t religious or anything, but he liked to pretend that May was listening or watching him, somewhere far away.He talked about school, David, the Avengers sometimes but mostly his feelings. There weren’t a lot of people Peter felt like he could talk to about them. He had Ned and MJ but he didn't want to bother them. And it’s not like he had ever talked to them about anything like  _ that _ personal before.

 

“I hope you’re doing ok...I mean you’re not ok, you’re  _ dead _ \- No I shouldn’t have put it that way, I-I’m sorry.”

 

Peter stared at the gravestone, gloomily as if he were expecting an answer back. He felt pathetic, really, talking to a goddamn rock. Unfortunately, it was one of the few things that gave him comfort nowadays.

 

“Um...I’ve been ok, I’ve been  _ better _ . I’m still getting good grades and I’m taking advanced chemistry this year. It would be easier to make my webs that way, I have better access to the materials. Ned and MJ are doing good. I...I feel bad for not talking to them but they just seem so happy, with everything coming back to normal and I wouldn’t wanna bother them with my problems. David is doing ok! He’s been acting weird lately, but I rarely see him so maybe it's just me…

 

“Still, uh...Still haven’t heard from Mr. Stark but it’s-it’s fine. I’m pretty sure he’s just busy with...Avengers stuff. He called me an Avenger, you know! Um, when we were in space. I wish I hadn’t let him down. I miss the suit, I miss Karen and I miss  _ him _ . He made me feel like I could do something, you know? I don’t know what to do anymore...What would you say, Aunt May?”

 

Aunt May would have known what to say to him but she’s long gone. And it  _ hurt _ . It hurt to think about how May would have let him lay down on the couch, head in her lap while she stroked his hair and softly whisper words of encouragement to him. So he didn’t.

 

“All week, I’ve been thinking about doing patrol again, Aunt May. And I think… I think I’m gonna do it. I know you’d rather I stay inside and keep myself safe but there’s...there’s something happening. A lot of people in Queens have been disappearing and some are saying that it’s human trafficking but it  _ has _ to be bigger than that. I just know it, I can feel it! And I’m gonna find out what it is. I promised to be there for the little guy, remember? And! And Mr. Stark might give me my suit back if he finds out that I help! He’ll be proud, right?”

 

Once again, Peter looked at the stone. It was unmoving and a bland grey color and looked like most of the stones in the graveyard. He wish he were that stone. Cold and… not alive. He wouldn’t have to suffer and at least he’d be closer to her. 

 

Peter’s thoughts were interrupted when a few droplets fell on his head. He looked up to see a mass of dark clouds slowing crawling its way over the cemetery. Just  _ great _ .

 

“I’m gonna have to go a bit early today, Aunt May, I’m really sorry.” Peter apologized profusely before sliding his backpack onto it’s shoulders “Looks like there's gonna be a thunderstorm soon…I promise to come again sometime this week though, to make up for lost time!...And I’ll bring some more of those flowers you loved so much.”

 

Peter stood up in front of the stone as if he were about to leave, but he couldn’t find himself to move. The rain started to pour harder. 

 

“I miss you so much, May, you don’t even know. Every time I dream about you, I-I always wake up, waiting for the smell of that terrible omelet you used to make hit me.” Peter snorted, but he couldn’t tell if it were a laugh or a sob “Or I you used to tickle me awake, even when I got too old for it and...I just- just…fuck. I love you, Aunt May.”

 

It was pouring heavily now and the rain slid down his hair and cheeks, mixing in with his salty tears. Peter muttered a few more goodbyes before hurriedly making his way out of the cemetery. People were scurrying past him with umbrellas or jackets over their heads to protect themselves from the rain. Peter couldn’t care any less about the storm and kept his head down as he shuffled through the streets of Queens. He could see people staring at him with uneasy or worried glances. Yes, his clothes were close to fully soaked, but it wasn’t like he could get sick. Yes, he didn’t bother to open the umbrella he carried in his hand. And yes, he was letting out loud choked sobs every few minutes. Peter couldn’t bring himself to care about them either. It took him awhile to get to the mostly suburban area because of the traffic and the rain but he managed.

 

Peter unlocked to door to the house, and took of his wet shoes, dripping jacket and his soaked backpack. His notes were probably ruined but he could always copy them from Ned. It seemed that David wasn’t home yet, as he was most days, so Peter decided to take a warm bath then scroll through Instagram or something.

 

A picture of Ned’s mother in front of large circular cake and other supposed family members was posted only a couple of days ago and was captioned “Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you so much <3”. Peter felt a slight pang in his chest as he looked at the photo for a few seconds. Ned was so close to his family and well, he had...no one. He decided to give Ned a call. He picked up almost immediately.

 

“Oh my god, Peter? Are you ok, dude? Do I need to come over? I’ll”

 

“No, no! No, um, nothing happened. I just wanted you to wish your mom a happy belated birthday and uh...just talk about some stuff.” Peter quickly intervened

 

“Oh, thanks dude. I’ll send over the message for you. And what kind of stuff?” Ned asked

 

“Um, just...I-I think I’m ready to be Spider-Man again.”

 

There was a short pause.

 

“Dude, oh my god, like are you serious? That’s-That’s great, man! No that’s more than great, that’s amazing.” 

 

Peter moved the phone away from his ears as Ned practically started to yell into the phone. It made Peter smile a bit; he hadn’t heard Ned sound this excited in a while. 

“But in all seriousness: are you positive that you wanna do this? I mean you’ve been going through a lot and I wouldn’t want you to be all stressed out and stuff.” 

 

“I think I’ve taken a long enough break...and besides, I think there’s something shady going on in Queens.” Peter said

 

“You mean the kidnappings? Yeah, that’s scary shit dude. Even my mom won’t let me go outside without her...You don’t plan on actually-”

 

“Yes, I do, Ned.”

 

“But-But Peter!” Ned said “You don’t have the suit, you could get seriously hurt!”

 

“Yeah, I know, but no one’s doing anything about it and people are getting hurt! The Avengers obviously have better things to do and… just maybe if I do this Mr. Stark will take me back and give me my suit again.”

 

Peter heard Ned sigh into the phone.

 

“Doesn’t he like, yell at you every time you do something like this?” Ned asked, exasperated

 

“Well yeah, but that was only one time.” Peter replied

 

There were a few seconds of silence on the other line.

 

“Fine, but I have to help out. You know ‘Guy in the Chair” and all that. When do you we start?” Ned said

 

“Probably on Monday. I still need this weekend to get myself ready just in case something goes down... I-I haven’t been Spider-Man in a while. And I need to make some back-up web cartridges.” 

 

“Ok that’s all cool, man. Just give me a ring if you ever need anything, ok?” 

 

They talked on the phone for a few more minutes before saying their last goodbyes and hanging up. That night, Peter fell asleep practically radiating with nervousness and excitement. Maybe, just  _ maybe _ , this could be his chance to win back Mr. Stark.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!! :D  
> If I ever disappear for more than two weeks, you can find me on tumblr U_U my url is artwunk. I'm taking requests too so go send em in B)


	7. NOT AN UPDATE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *weeps*

yall im so sorry for abandoning this fic for like 6 months :,U I hope yall are doing well! This is the first time I'm logging into this account in a while so thank you for all the wonderful comments :,D

ive had so much on my plate since senior year started and I just really needed to focus on myself and my school work x_x I also had a whole art portfolio to get together too and college apps took a part of my soul in the process of completing them.

I'm considering rewriting this whole fic?? I had like a bunch of chapters planned for this fic, bullet pointed n' everything, but since ive been gone for forever, I might want a fresh start. I also have like 2 other fics I had planned before school started but they weren't Spiderman related. But yall can tell me what you think!!

also sorry for the bad grammer, I typed this in like 2 minutes lol

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading my fic!! I hope you enjoyed it enough to stick around for the next chapter :O  
> I have an art account on tumblr so go request stuff :9  
> tumblr url: artwunk


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